Grand Auditorium Design -- Expression System Electronics

The Taylor 414ce delivers all the quality and tone players expect from the popular Grand Auditorium design. With outstanding wood selection and powerful electronics, this acoustic-electric sings with the same brilliant tones that have become synonymous with the Taylor name. Built with incredible craftsmanship and care, the Taylor 414ce is a modern classic in the making.

Superb Tonewood Selection

Like the rest of the Tayor 400 series, the 414ce uses African ovangkol for its back and sides with a Sitka spruce top. Similar to rosewood in tone, ovangkol provides excellent clarity and complex overtones with robust low-end. Paired with the snap of the Sitka spruce top, the 414ce sings with a balance to complement any vocalist. The popular Taylor Grand Auditorium body shape adds a certain focus to the sound which allows this guitar to project with great definition.

Innovative Taylor Electronics

It's not just the clear and balanced sound of the 414ce that makes this a great choice for singer-songwriters. The onboard Taylor Expression System (r) equips this guitar for seamless reproduction through any amplifier or PA. Utilizing a unique Dynamic Body Sensor(r) under the soundboard and a Dynamic String Sensor(r) beneath the fretboard, this innovative electronic system captures the full natural timbre of the guitar. Every rich texture and bright tone is accurately reproduced so that this guitar sounds as good run through a PA as it does in a intimate wooden room.

If you have additional warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer at 800-943-6782

Product Description

Players continue to discover how the Taylor 414ce's solid African ovangkol's responsive, rosewood-like tone, pairs well with Sitka spruce and can accommodate a range of playing styles. White binding applies a crisp counterpoint against the gloss top and mottled brown hues of ovangkol, while the Expression System wires these guitars for high-fidelity amplified acoustic sound.

From zZounds' Guitar Experts Team

The Taylor 414ce acoustic is a great choice for anyone looking for an incredibly comfortable acoustic guitar. This guitar has a solid Sitka spruce top and solid ovangkol wood back and sides for tons of resonance and clarity. Any guitarist that wants a great all-purpose acoustic for fingerstyle playing or playing with a pick should give this guitar a try. The ebony fretboard has a smooth feel under your fingers and adds to Taylor's already ultra-comfortable neck design. I particularly enjoyed the mellow mids and the high-end snap this guitar provides.

- Justin, zZounds Guitar Expert

I was on tour with my band, and we were having trouble setting levels in bigger venues. My acoustic was getting drowned out by my rather loud bandmates, and I was getting feedback during crucial song moments. We tried everything: Soundhole feedback busters were killing my tone and clarity, and we were spending more time EQ'ing than playing. We were about ready to throw in the towel and go electric before my bassist recommended Taylor guitars. I picked up a Taylor 414ce and was EQ'd in 5 minutes. The first time onstage with it, I cut through the mix perfectly at a fraction of the volume on my preamp. The Taylor Expression System perfectly represented the bright, tight, cutting mid-range I was looking for, even through the cacophony onstage. There's a reason certain famous singer/songwriters use Taylor guitars with their bands: there is no better acoustic for use with a band.

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"414ce for the win!"

Overall:
When I was on the market for an acoustic electric to replace my Taylor Big Baby, I knew I was going to return to Taylor for there musical and balanced tone. To me, Martin guitars bring out the bottom end of the tonal spectrum a little too much. So with that being said, I was at a cross road:
314ce or 414ce. The 4 series is only a couple of hundred more that the 3 series so price wasn't really the issue. The issue was "where do my tonal preferences lay?"
The 314ce is bright and shimmering due to the sapele back and sides, a perfect weapon to tackle live band performances. The cripst tonal wood cuts through the sound well without getting lost in the sauce. But to that regard, I felt that the 314ce almost completely lacked in bass. With the combination of the bright tonal woods and the grand auditorium design, bass lacked almost completely. While this isn't a huge deal in a band situation, when playing at home or solo, I felt the lack of bass made the overall tonal quality of the guitar incomplete.
SO! To the 414ce. This is where I made the decision. The African Ovangkol is a less dense wood bringing in the low end tone that the 314ce lacks, all the while not overpowering the crisp highs that Taylor is known for. Balanced. I looked at the 414ce as a jack of all trades because of this. In a solo setting, the balanced bass and highs gave a complete sound. In live performances, just use the onboard EQ to roll of the low end and boost your highs. There. Done.
Unplugged the guitar sounds so unique. Ovangkol isn't widely used so it stands out against your regular run of the mill back and side woods. People who have heard the guitar describe it as fluid sounding.
Plugged in the expression system does what I feel all other acoustic electric guitars SHOULD do. How the 414ce sounds unplugged is how it sounds plugged in. Not changed, not muttled with. Just your guitar louder. The sound is not quacky like you find in under saddle bridges. Not colored or enhanced like you will find in other acoustic electric pickups. Taylor hit the nail on the head with the expression system.
Also, I should mention that this guitar ages, opens up if you will. There was a time where I really had no time to play due to work and family. MONTHS went by without the guitar coming out of it's case but when it finally did, the guitar transformed into this booming, singing instrument of music. Simply fantastic.
If you are in a toss up between the 313 or the 414, I would first recommend looking at your situation. If you only need something to cut through the band and still sound great, the 314 is for you. But if you are like myself who does a little bit of everything, the 414ce is your go to.
I am extremely pleased with my purchase and plan to enjoy this for years and years to come.

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"Sooo Happy"

Overall:
I have wanted a Taylor for 13 years, ever since I worked at Guitar Center. Because of Zzounds payment plans I finally have one. I cant say enough for how awesome Zzounds has been with all the gear I have bought from them.
As far as the 414CE goes, its amazing! Its beautiful, plays great, sounds great and the pickup system is just amazing when plugged in. If you are debating on getting a Taylor or not...Do it!! I have played Martins,Gibsons, Breedloves ect.. Taylor is where its at!!

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